So far this offseason, the Detroit Lions have added numerous pieces on the offensive side of the ball, which recently included former UFL wide receivers Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black, and Tay Martin.
The Lions have also waived Kyre Duplessis, ending his short tenure with the club. But now, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has further supplemented Detroit’s passing attack with the signing of yet another UFL wide receiver, who will be expected to compete for playing time when the Lions gather for Training Camp in Allen Park late next month.
The Detroit Lions Have Signed Former Houston Gamblers Wide Receiver Lawrence Keys III
Just days after signing UFL wide receivers Lucky Jackson, Tarik Black, and Tay Martin, the Lions have signed yet another UFL talent.
Arriving in the Motor City is former Houston Gamblers wideout Lawrence Keys III, who played in 10 games for the Gamblers this season. He’s the newest face in Detroit’s wide receiver core, who recently lost rookie Kendrick Law to a season-ending ACL tear.
In 10 games played, he hauled in 24 receptions for a total of 349 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Considering the absence of Kalif Raymond, who jumped ship and signed with the NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears, there is a chance that Keys could assist with Detroit’s return game, something he had experience with while playing for the Gamblers.
On his 11 punt returns, he averaged 12.2 yards, while also averaging 27.3 yards on 19 returned kicks.
Keys spent the first three seasons of his college career playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, amassing 185 total yards on 18 receptions. He then transferred to Tulane, accumulating 895 yards on 63 catches with nine touchdowns.
Keys is now the latest UFL talent to join the Lions, and hopes that his experience with the Gamblers will have been sufficient enough for him to impress Detroit’s coaching staff enough to earn a roster spot.
With his signing, the Lions are now at 91 roster players.
The Lions Are Now Led By Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing
Last season, the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell took away the offensive play calling responsibilities from offensive coordinator John Morton, who was hired to replace Ben Johnson after he departed to join the Bears as their head coach.
Not surprisingly, Morton was not retained by the Lions once the season ended. And in his place has arrived former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
In February, while speaking of what Lions fans can expect to see from their offense in the upcoming season, Petzing explained they can look forward to an evolving scheme.
“I think the key to any offense is it’s got to be built around the players you have,” Petzing said. “You’ve got to highlight their ability and what they do best. So, that’s going to be different game to game based on who’s available.
“Every roster I’ve been on, it’s going to be a little different,” Petzing said. “I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career to be around some great coaches who come from different backgrounds and different systems and have different beliefs, and I think I’ve taken a little bit kind of from everybody, in terms of how I want to build things and the language that I go off of and what I believe in.”
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